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PARIS (AP) -- The Latest on the publication by a coalition of media outlets of an investigation into offshore financial dealings by the rich and famous (all times local):...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Thursday that Catholics and Methodists have much to learn from one another as they work together in loving service to the world. His words came in an audience with leaders of the World Methodist Council, the Methodist Council of Europe and the Methodist Church in Britain who here for the opening of a new ecumenical centre in Rome.Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report: “If we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we may love alike”. Those words were written by John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement, in his ‘Letter to a Roman Catholic’ in the mid-18th century. Wesley also stressed that Catholics and Methodists are called “to help each other in whatever…leads to the Kingdom”.In his meeting with the global Methodist leadership, Pope Francis said it’s true we do not as yet think alike in all things, noting that especially on issues of ordained ministry and eth...
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis said on Thursday that Catholics and Methodists have much to learn from one another as they work together in loving service to the world. His words came in an audience with leaders of the World Methodist Council, the Methodist Council of Europe and the Methodist Church in Britain who here for the opening of a new ecumenical centre in Rome.
Listen to Philippa Hitchen’s report:
“If we cannot as yet think alike in all things, at least we may love alike”. Those words were written by John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement, in his ‘Letter to a Roman Catholic’ in the mid-18th century. Wesley also stressed that Catholics and Methodists are called “to help each other in whatever…leads to the Kingdom”.
In his meeting with the global Methodist leadership, Pope Francis said it’s true we do not as yet think alike in all things, noting that especially on issues of ordained ministry and ethics, much work remains to be done. But, he stressed, none of these differences constitutes such an obstacle as to prevent us from loving in the same way and offering a common witness to the world.
50 years of Catholic-Methodist dialogue
Half a century since the joint Catholic-Methodist dialogue commission began its work, its members are preparing to publish a new document on ‘The Call to Holiness’, an area where the Pope said members of the two Churches have much to learn from one another. We must both do what we can, he said, to ensure that members of our respective congregations meet together and encourage each other. Even where differences remain, he added, these can and must become the impetus for further reflection and dialogue.
New Ecumenical Office in Rome
Welcoming the opening of the new Methodist Ecumenical Office in Rome, the Pope said it’s a sign of growing closeness and of our shared desire to overcome all that stands in the way of our full communion.
Rev. Robert Gribben is a minister of the Uniting Church of Australia and chair of the World Methodist Council’s committee on ecumenical relationships. At this important moment in the life of the global community, he shared some thoughts on the importance of working for Christian unity and the significance – for Methodists – of this Jubilee year of mercy.
Gribben says he believes the theologians have done "a wonderful job in clearing the way for us to walk together...."
One of the obstacles, he says, is peoples' inability to move - or "mabye their inability to believe that such good things have actually happened..."
Getting the local church structures to change is an enormous challenge, he notes, especially in a world where Christian faith is under attack we tend to be defensive and hang onto what we know...
Gribben says that the word 'mercy' features prominently in the hymns of Charles Wesley....apart from the word 'love', he says, "there could hardly be a more important word in all Christian doctrine and practice".
Fr. Cedric Prakash an Indian Jesuit priest and committed human rights activist, is the Regional Advocacy & Communications Officer of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Region, based in Beirut, Lebanon. Belonging to the Gujarat Jesuit Province of India, Fr. Cedric has been until recently the Director of "Prashant", a Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, which he founded in 2001 in Ahmedabad. He has been at the forefront on issues related to human rights, justice, peace and other advocacy matters for which he has been honoured in India and abroad. Notable among these honours is the Knighthood from the Legion of Honour, one of France’s highest civilian awards given in 2006Fr. Cedric was recently on a visit to the Jordanian capital, Amman, in his capacity as the Regional Advocacy & Communications Officer for JRS MENA. We manged to catch up with him on his mo...
Fr. Cedric Prakash an Indian Jesuit priest and committed human rights activist, is the Regional Advocacy & Communications Officer of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) for the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) Region, based in Beirut, Lebanon. Belonging to the Gujarat Jesuit Province of India, Fr. Cedric has been until recently the Director of "Prashant", a Jesuit Centre for Human Rights, Justice and Peace, which he founded in 2001 in Ahmedabad. He has been at the forefront on issues related to human rights, justice, peace and other advocacy matters for which he has been honoured in India and abroad. Notable among these honours is the Knighthood from the Legion of Honour, one of France’s highest civilian awards given in 2006
Fr. Cedric was recently on a visit to the Jordanian capital, Amman, in his capacity as the Regional Advocacy & Communications Officer for JRS MENA. We manged to catch up with him on his mobile phone to know about his new assignment. Today, in the first of a 2-part interview, we began by asking him about the switch from Director of human rights centre, "Prashant" in Ahmedabad, India, to the Jesuit Refugee Service in the Middle East.
Listen:
"Come and you will see." The passage from the Gospel of John was chosen this year by the Archdiocese of Seoul for the 5th Catholic Youth Day to be held on April 17 at the Theological Seminary of the capital. Promoted by the Department of Vocations and Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese, the event aims to involve secondary school children in a wider reflection on their future and their vocation, helping them to recognize the love of God and to strengthen their Christian faith, while offering the Catholic teenagers the opportunity to seek, discern and respond to the Lord’s call.The initiative was born in 2009 and, over the years, has seen a growing number of enrolments. About 5,000 students of the capital's parishes are expected to participate in the event. The program of the Day includes games in the morning and experiential workshops: the available area will be divided into three sections which are: the past, the present, the future, and each participant can &qu...
"Come and you will see." The passage from the Gospel of John was chosen this year by the Archdiocese of Seoul for the 5th Catholic Youth Day to be held on April 17 at the Theological Seminary of the capital. Promoted by the Department of Vocations and Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese, the event aims to involve secondary school children in a wider reflection on their future and their vocation, helping them to recognize the love of God and to strengthen their Christian faith, while offering the Catholic teenagers the opportunity to seek, discern and respond to the Lord’s call.
The initiative was born in 2009 and, over the years, has seen a growing number of enrolments. About 5,000 students of the capital's parishes are expected to participate in the event. The program of the Day includes games in the morning and experiential workshops: the available area will be divided into three sections which are: the past, the present, the future, and each participant can "explore" the Catholic faith, life as a teenager, and future dreams.
The area that will host the young people will be divided into three sections, past, present and future, within which one will have the opportunity to build one’s own vocational journey and identify the aspirations and future expectations in line with their own journey of faith. The day will end with a Mass presided by the Archbishop of Seoul, Cardinal. Andrew Yeom Soo-jung.
"Young people are valuable assets for the Catholic Church" observes Fr. Peter Yang Jang-ook, Director of the Youth Department of the Archdiocese of Seoul. "We try to offer them the opportunity make the experience of God’s love, joy and mercy".
Washington D.C., Apr 5, 2016 / 03:33 am (CNA).- Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has long been known for supporting legal abortion. But her comments in this election year have some pro-life critics saying that she is becoming more radical.“She is publically signaling to the abortion lobby that she backs abortion on demand and won’t support any restrictions,” said Mallory Quigley, communications director for the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political advocacy group.In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Clinton was asked when, or if, an unborn child has constitutional rights.“Well, under our laws currently, that is not something that exists,” she said. “The unborn person doesn't have constitutional rights.”In the same interview, Clinton said she supports “reasonable restrictions” on abortion that account for “health of the mother.”Quigley suggested that these comments are both incoher...
Washington D.C., Apr 5, 2016 / 03:33 am (CNA).- Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton has long been known for supporting legal abortion. But her comments in this election year have some pro-life critics saying that she is becoming more radical.
“She is publically signaling to the abortion lobby that she backs abortion on demand and won’t support any restrictions,” said Mallory Quigley, communications director for the Susan B. Anthony List, a pro-life political advocacy group.
In an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press on Sunday, Clinton was asked when, or if, an unborn child has constitutional rights.
“Well, under our laws currently, that is not something that exists,” she said. “The unborn person doesn't have constitutional rights.”
In the same interview, Clinton said she supports “reasonable restrictions” on abortion that account for “health of the mother.”
Quigley suggested that these comments are both incoherent and an attempt by Clinton to convince voters that she has a moderate stance on abortion.
“It’s a complete contradiction to say that the unborn are people, to recognize them by calling them persons, but to insist that they do not have constitutional rights,” Quigley told CNA. “If you acknowledge that the baby is a person, then of course they should have constitutional rights.”
In the interview, Clinton did not specify which restrictions she would support. Quigley said that because the definition of health in abortion legislation is so broad, it is questionable whether Clinton supports any restrictions at all.
“(S)he’s really gotten increasingly radical on this issue,” Quigley said, discussing the abortion language used in Clinton’s campaign speeches over the years.
In one speech during her bid for the nomination in 2008, Clinton responded ‘Yes’ when asked whether her goal was ultimately to “reduc(e) the decisions for abortion to zero.”
During that discussion, Clinton said that she thought abortion should be “safe, legal and rare, and by rare, I mean rare” and that it “should not in any way be diminished as a moral issue.”
Four years later, Clinton has dropped the emphasis on making abortion “rare” and ultimately nonexistent.
This February, when responding to claims from Sen. Marco Rubio that she believed in abortion on demand and without restrictions, Clinton said: “You know, I’ve been on record for many years about where I stand on abortion, how it should be safe and legal and I have the same position that I’ve had for a very long time.”
Quigley said she thinks the change in Clinton’s abortion platform mirrors what has been happening in the Democratic Party over the past few years.
“The Clintons were famous for normalizing the mantra of ‘safe, legal and rare’, but over time the Democratic party has really become more extreme, taking the word ‘rare’ out of the party platform and putting in ‘regardless of ability to pay,’ which of course means paid for at taxpayers’ expense,” Quigley said.
Other comments about abortion during Clinton’s campaign have also caused some critics to question whether her stance on the issue has become more extreme. In April 2015, Clinton said she believes that “religious beliefs and structural biases have to be changed” to expand access to abortion.
And in August 2015, Clinton likened GOP candidates with pro-life views to terrorists:
“Now, extreme views about women, we expect that from some of the terrorist groups, we expect that from people who don't want to live in the modern world, but it's a little hard to take from Republicans who want to be the president of the United States,” Clinton said at a speech in Cleveland. “Yet they espouse out of date, out of touch policies. They are dead wrong for 21st century America. We are going forward, we are not going back.”
The most radical position that Hillary has espoused during her 2016 presidential bid, Quigley suggested, is her proposal to get rid of the Hyde Amendment, which since its passage in 1976 has barred taxpayer money from paying for abortions other than in cases of an endangered life of the mother. In 1993, President Bill Clinton expanded the exceptions to include rape and incest.
Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have made repealing the Hyde Amendment part of their 2016 campaign, which signals a dramatic, “abortion on demand and without apology” platform, Quigley said.
“(Clinton) wants to change longstanding federal policy, which has always been bipartisan,” she said. “The Democrats have for a long time realized that many taxpayers just can’t stomach the idea of federal funding for abortion without limits, but her position is more and more extreme at a time when it’s very clear that there’s areas of consensus when it comes to abortion.”
Polls indicate that there is the greatest consensus on abortion policy surrounding abortion restrictions after 20 weeks, when scientists generally agree that a fetus can feel pain in the womb.
A 2013 Washington Post-ABC News poll found 56 percent of voters preferred limiting unrestricted abortion rights to 20 weeks rather than 24 weeks. A 2012 Gallup poll found 61 percent of Americans believe abortion should generally be legal during the first trimester, but the support dropped to 27 percent in the second trimester and 14 percent in the third trimester. A 2014 Quinnipiac poll found that 60 percent of Americans support pain capable legislation, which restricts abortion after a fetus can feel pain, typically after 20 weeks.
Kristen Day, executive director of Democrats for Life, said since so many American voters favor restrictions on abortion after 20 weeks, Clinton’s more extreme views seem out of touch with the American people.
“She (Clinton) surrounds herself with these people who are telling her that everyone supports abortion, but it’s a minority view, it’s not what the rest of the country believes,” Day said.
“If you look around, and all these states are passing 20 week bans and eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood.”
Twenty states limit abortion after fetal viability, and 23 states have some form of limits on abortions at 20 weeks or later, with varying exceptions. In Sept. 2015, the Senate blocked a Republican bill to ban abortion after 20 weeks nationwide.
Quigley added that election pressures from the pro-choice and Planned Parenthood lobby have likely led Clinton to embrace a more extreme stance. For the first time ever in their 100-year existence, Planned Parenthood announced their endorsement of a candidate, Clinton, during the primaries rather than waiting for the general election.
“We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: Hillary Clinton is the most outspoken supporter of Planned Parenthood among all the presidential candidates,” Planned Parenthood said in January of their endorsement of Clinton.
Other pro-choice groups including NARAL Pro-Choice America PAC have also endorsed Clinton. CNA reached out to Planned Parenthood and NARAL Pro-Choice America for comment, but did not hear back by press time.
“They are certainly one of Hillary Clinton’s key allies, so as they’ve gotten more and more stringent, not allowing for any concessions on abortion at all, the politicians have been forced to follow suit because there’s a lot of money that comes with those endorsements, money and power,” Quigley said.
Ultimately, however, she thinks “the American people are going to reject that level of extremism when going to the voting booth.”
Photo credit: Joseph Sohm via www.shutterstock.com
Vatican City, Apr 7, 2016 / 06:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis will travel to the Greek island of Lesbos next Saturday, April 16, where he will meet with ecumenical leaders and refugees, the Vatican announced Thursday.Director of the Holy See Press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, told journalists the invitation for the Pope to visit the island came from Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos.“Welcoming the invitation,” said Fr. Lombardi, “Pope Francis will travel to Lesbos Saturday, April 16, 2016.”A Vatican statement released April 7 to journalists said the Pope, along with “His Holiness Bartholomew, and His Holiness Jerome II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, will meet with the refugees accommodated there.”While on the island, Pope Francis will be joined by Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Hieronimus II, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, in meeting with the refugees...
Vatican City, Apr 7, 2016 / 06:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis will travel to the Greek island of Lesbos next Saturday, April 16, where he will meet with ecumenical leaders and refugees, the Vatican announced Thursday.
Director of the Holy See Press office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, told journalists the invitation for the Pope to visit the island came from Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, and Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
“Welcoming the invitation,” said Fr. Lombardi, “Pope Francis will travel to Lesbos Saturday, April 16, 2016.”
A Vatican statement released April 7 to journalists said the Pope, along with “His Holiness Bartholomew, and His Holiness Jerome II, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, will meet with the refugees accommodated there.”
While on the island, Pope Francis will be joined by Patriarch Bartholomew and His Beatitude Hieronimus II, Archbishop of Athens and all Greece, in meeting with the refugees staying on the island.
Fr. Lombardi told journalists that it was a “common” initiative, and that “no one can say who started the initiative. It’s an initiative of all the Christian churches together.”
There is still no schedule for the last-minute trip, however the spokesman explained that a meeting will take place on Tuesday to organize the final details of the trip.
He said that it will be a “brief” visit, but that a meeting with the refugees, a public gathering and an ecumenical encounter are all likely to be included.
Lesbos has been one the primary destinations of migrants fleeing war-torn countries such as Syria and Afghanistan who seek entry into the E.U.
With a financially stressed economy, Greece has been largely unprepared for the thousands of migrants who have shown up on its shores.
In 2015 alone more than 1.1 million migrants fleeing war and violence poured into Europe, and the influx has continued. Many Syrians seeking to escape the civil war which has devastated their country for the past five years enter Europe through Turkey, taking boats to the Greek isles.
With leaders perplexed as to how to handle the migrant flow, a new deal was recently struck between the E.U. and Turkey stipulating that all migrants and refugees who cross into Greece illegally by sea will be sent back to Turkey once they have been registered and their asylum claims processed.
In return, the E.U. agreed to take in thousands of Syrian refugees directly from Turkey, giving the country early visa-free travel and advancing talks regarding their E.U. membership negotiations.
Pope Francis’ visit, then, will be a strong sign of hope and solidarity for the migrants and the entire ecumenical community.
By Carol GlatzVATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In an effort to highlight thedramatic situation of refugees left in limbo on the Greek island of Lesbos,Pope Francis and other Christian leaders will meet with the migrants April 16."Naturally, the pope wants to be there in order todraw attention to the sense of solidarity and responsibility" of allChristians, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reportersApril 7.The pope wants to go to Lesbos for the same reasons thatdrew him to visit the Italian island of Lampedusa: to point to "thereality of refugees and immigrants" and because "he sees an importantemergency" unfolding there, Father Lombardi said. The joint visit by the pope and two top Orthodox leaders inthe region also shows "that the Christian churches are united on thefrontlines of major challenges, before humanitarian emergencies, problems ofjustice and peace in the world today," Father Lombardi said.The pope accepted invitations by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos...
By Carol Glatz
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In an effort to highlight the dramatic situation of refugees left in limbo on the Greek island of Lesbos, Pope Francis and other Christian leaders will meet with the migrants April 16.
"Naturally, the pope wants to be there in order to draw attention to the sense of solidarity and responsibility" of all Christians, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, told reporters April 7.
The pope wants to go to Lesbos for the same reasons that drew him to visit the Italian island of Lampedusa: to point to "the reality of refugees and immigrants" and because "he sees an important emergency" unfolding there, Father Lombardi said.
The joint visit by the pope and two top Orthodox leaders in the region also shows "that the Christian churches are united on the frontlines of major challenges, before humanitarian emergencies, problems of justice and peace in the world today," Father Lombardi said.
The pope accepted invitations by Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, the Istanbul-based spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox, to make the one-day visit, the Vatican said.
The pope and patriarch will also be joined by Orthodox Archbishop Ieronymos of Athens and all of Greece when meeting with the refugees on the island.
Father Lombardi said it was still too early for further details about the trip, but that the itinerary would be "very basic." It was expected the pope would be welcomed at the airport by local authorities, he said, and in addition to the meeting with refugees, there would be a second organized event of some kind on the island.
It will be the second time in modern history a pope visits Greece; in 2001, St. John Paul II made a historic pilgrimage that included Syria and Malta as he traced the evangelizing route of St. Paul.
Lesbos is just a few miles from the coast of Turkey, and for years migrants and refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East have been arriving on this and other nearby islands in an effort to reach Western Europe.
Approximately 172,000 migrants have crossed into Greece and Italy since the beginning of 2016, according to the International Organization for Migration.
A new agreement between Turkey and the European Union stipulates that those who cross the Aegean Sea from Turkey illegally are sent back to Turkey, with the aim of stemming the flow of migrants to Greece. The deal states that the EU will take in thousands of Syrian refugees from Turkey and offer the nation financial help and other assistance.
Some criticize the accord because it risks deporting asylum-seekers and refugees rather than illegal migrants, and it may not guarantee safeguarding human rights and living conditions of those on the move.
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Follow Glatz on Twitter: @CarolGlatz.
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